The president of the United States, Donald Trump, wants to nominate the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, as revealed exclusively by New York Post on Tuesday.
The proposal arises days after the final of the 2026 World Cup, held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and reflects the close relationship that Trump and Infantino have cultivated during the organization of the tournament.
According to sources close to the president quoted by the New York newspaper, Trump believes that Infantino "is respected by everyone in the world and recognizes that he has a special ability to bring people together."
Neither Trump nor Infantino have publicly confirmed the candidacy. The Swiss leader, aged 56, did not respond to the New York Post's request for comment.
The position will become vacant on December 31, 2026, when the second term of the Portuguese António Guterres concludes. To be considered for the role, any candidate must first receive the recommendation of the Security Council — where Washington holds veto power — and then obtain ratification from the General Assembly.
Infantino's candidacy would break the unwritten tradition of favoring representatives from Latin America or the Caribbean, a region that has not had a secretary general since Javier Pérez de Cuéllar from Peru, who held the position from 1982 to 1991.
The formal candidates registered with the UN include former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi from Argentina, the Secretary-General of UNCTAD Rebeca Grynspan, and former Senegalese president Macky Sall.
The special envoy of Trump for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, a personal friend of Infantino, enthusiastically supported the idea in an interview with the New York Post: "Only President Trump could come up with such a brilliant idea."
Zampolli also argued that the position is not so different from the one currently held by the Swiss executive: “At the United Nations, you have to deal with 193 member states. In FIFA, there are over 200 members, and Gianni's extensive track record shows that he knows how to manage.”
The relationship between the two developed through several milestones during the World Cup. In December 2025, Infantino presented Trump with the first FIFA Peace Prize in history during the tournament draw in Washington, a gesture that prompted a complaint to FIFA's ethics committee for alleged violation of the obligation of political neutrality.
In July 2026, FIFA overturned the red card given to American forward Folarin Balogun following a phone call from Trump to Infantino, a decision that sparked protests from Belgium and other European countries.
On July 18, Infantino publicly praised Trump at an event in New York, stating that the tournament "would not have been an incredible success" without him.
Installing Infantino at the helm of the UN could improve Trump's tense relationship with the multilateral organization.
Since his return to the White House in January 2025, the president has cut U.S. contributions to the UN and withdrawn from the World Health Organization, the Human Rights Council, and UNESCO.
The move would also entail a drastic salary cut for Infantino: the executive earns around 6 million dollars annually at FIFA, compared to approximately 418,000 dollars that the UN Secretary-General receives.
Additionally, Infantino has already announced his candidacy for re-election as FIFA president, with the vote scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Morocco.
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